Ghost of a Rose
by leelee202
Summary: Rewrite of the episode 'Hide'. Rose is dimension hopping when something goes terribly wrong with the Dimension Cannon and she finds she is literally a ghost in the Tardis.
1. Chapter 1

_Promise me, when you see_

 _A white rose, you'll think of me_

 _I love you so, but never let go_

 _I will be, your ghost of a rose_

Rose took a deep breath. She was standing in the room in Torchwood, mentally preparing herself for her next jump. She had been through the Dimension Cannon about twenty-four times, each time being an utter failure in finding the Doctor. And time was ticking. The stars were going out. She could feel it in her bones that they didn't have much time.

It was Mickey who had suggested calibrating her Tardis key to the Dimension Cannon and this was going to be her first test run. She felt her heart accelerating at the prospect of finally finding the Doctor and finally embracing him. She shook her head. She had a more important job to do. The fate of all the Universes was at stake. Matters of the heart could come later.

She glanced over at the crew behind their protective window, working on their computers. Mickey was standing behind all the technicians, his broad arms crossed over his chest. He had filled out nicely over these last few years. He was more a man now than the childhood sweetheart she remembered him to be. She looked back at the Dimension Cannon. They had all changed. They had all been affected by their travels with the Doctor. Some good, some not so good. Like her heart.

"Ready, Rose?" Mickey's voice asked over the intercom, startling her out of her thoughts.

She glanced back at him and gave him a thumbs up. It was now or never. She could not lose her nerve now. She took a steading breath and steeled herself.

"You know the drill. It will take an hour for the Dimension Cannon to recharge. Be careful in the meantime."

She nodded her understanding. One hour didn't seem like much, but when she had landed on a few hostile planets, an hour seemed like an eternity trying to keep alive. If the coast was clear she would investigate and if she found nothing, she would push the button on her wrist holster that would send her back home. Well, not home. If all went according to plan, this wouldn't be her home anymore.

"Got it," she answered.

The Dimension Cannon came to life, the round disc starting to turn and gain momentum until it was all a blur. And then the light started building up. A white light laced with blue, shimmering in the dark room. The green light above the cannon lit up and she took another deep breath and stepped into the light.

And screamed as something went terribly, terribly wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose gasped as she landed hard on her knees, her vision temporarily blinded. She knelt on all fours and breathed heavily, willing down the nausea that threatened to take over. Going through the Dimension Cannon was always a stomach curdling moment, but this time was exceptionally bad.

Her stomach settled and she slowly opened her eyes. She was staring at a dark grey polished floor. She took another deep breath and pushed herself up on shaky legs. She looked up and almost stumbled back in shock. It had worked. She was in the Tardis. But it looked vastly different from what she remembered.

The console was hexagon in shape, the centre glowing a pale blue. Gone was the natural coral of the Tardis. This now had a more futuristic look. More alien. She was encircled by railings and as she slowly made her way around the console, she noticed stairs leading up to the doors. She circled again slowly, taking it all in. Stairs led down to the rest of the Tardis. But she couldn't shake how much colder this Tardis felt as opposed to the Tardis she once knew. Was this a representation of what the Doctor was like now? She really hoped not.

"What happened to you, old girl?" she murmured, gently stroking the metal of the console. The Tardis hummed in response and she smiled fondly. But the humming took on an almost mournful sound, soft and low. Rose frowned. What was the old girl trying to tell her?

Just then she heard footsteps coming from one of the corridors at the bottom of the stairs and she grinned. She was going to see the Doctor. She quickly checked her jumper on her wrist and tried to push a button to let control base back at Torchwood know that she was OK and she would come back at a later time. But nothing happened when she pushed it. She frowned, jabbing at it harder. Still nothing. She sighed. She would get the Doctor to fix it.

She heard him talking to someone, probably a companion. She steeled herself as she heard the footsteps ascend the stairs and then she stepped around the console and into view.

She was expecting him to be startled or surprised or maybe shocked. Shocked as she was by how different he looked now. He must have regenerated. Or she was seeing a younger version of him. He was looking at a petite brunette with big doe eyes and a very pretty face. He was talking a mile a minute, his hands flapping about in gestures as he talked, the brunette nodding along with what he was saying. He looked so different. He had foppish brown hair and a noticeable chin. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a bow tie fastened at his neck. He wore a grey vest that was covered with a dark brown long coat that was left unbuttoned.

She swallowed nervously. Now was the time to get his attention. "Hello, Doctor," she greeted.

Nothing. He just carried on talking and was now making his way around the console, the woman making her way around the other end. Rose frowned as the woman passed her without so much as a notice. This wasn't right. This definitely was not right.

Rose gingerly made her way to the Doctor. He was pushing a few buttons and turning a few dials.

"Doctor, it's me, Rose," she said softly as she stood right next to him, willing him to notice her.

The Doctor glanced up. "Where to, Clara?" he asked, peering around the pillar of the console.

"Not sure," Clara replied, sidling up to the Doctor.

Rose blinked back tears of confusion. Was this a cruel joke? The Tardis hummed unhappily. The Doctor looked up and frowned and patted the pillar. "What's up with you, old girl," he asked in a concerned manner.

Frustration welled up in her. After all this time searching for him and he didn't even notice her. Didn't even seem to hear her. She blinked, frozen in place. Was it something to do with what happened with the Dimension Cannon? Could he really not see or hear her? She lifted her hand slowly and placed it on his shoulder, gasping as her hand went right through him. She looked up at him, startled. He showed no signs that anything had just happened. He hadn't felt a thing.

She looked up at the ceiling of the Tardis. "What happened?" she asked, panic threatening to explode from her. The Tardis just hummed sadly, as though letting Rose know that there was nothing she could do. Rose pushed back the sleeve of her jacket roughly and jabbed at the button on the jumper. Still nothing. No readings. Nothing. She was effectively stuck. A ghost in the Tardis.

"What do I do?" she asked in a panicked voice. Again the Tardis just hummed sadly.

"What's wrong with her?" Clara asked.

"I don't know. It's almost like she's worried," the Doctor murmured.

Rose was now pacing agitatedly. What could she do to get his attention? Could she type something on the console, send a message of some sort? She went to the console and tried to push a button on the keyboard, but it resolutely didn't budge. Strange, she passed through living objects, but inanimate objects were solid for her. Albeit she couldn't move them.

She ran her hands through her hair, trying to think what she could do. She couldn't afford to panic, not now. She had to calm herself down. She closed her eyes and took deep, steadying breaths. She slowly opened her eyes as a memory came to her.

She walked back up to the Doctor, who was bent over the console, peering intently at the monitor. She leaned in close to his ear and said, "Help me."

The Doctor bolted upright, spinning around with wide eyes and effectively tripping over his own feet, sprawling on the floor. If she hadn't been so worried she would have found it comical. He shot up and spun around again, looking everywhere, his green eyes shocked.

"What's wrong, Doctor?" Clara asked, her eyes big with surprise at what had just transpired.

"Not sure. Thought I heard something." He was still spinning around. His long coat flapping around him.

Rose felt some sort of relief. He had, at least, heard that. He was now standing still, his eyes slowly looking around him.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Rose tried again.

But his eyes continued to search around. Then he let out a breath and turned to Clara. "Must have been nothing."

Clara didn't look convinced. Rose felt tears sting her eyes and forced herself not to cry. Not now. There had to be something else she could do. But what?

For the next hour she tried everything she could think of, even repeating those same words to him, but to no avail. Finally she sat down on the jump seat, drawing her knees to her chest. Tears silently trickled down her cheeks as she watched the Doctor read something on the monitor. Clara was sitting on the other jump seat next to the other control panel, her nose in a book.

She let out a sob and whispered in despair, "Help me, Doctor." She rested her head against her knees and cried bitterly. She didn't notice the Doctor tense and look around slowly once more.


	3. Chapter 3

"Right, Clara. I've picked up something quite exciting. Fancy going ghost hunting?" he asked enthusiastically.

Clara closed her book and put it down in the seat and skipped over to him, her face lit up in a smile. "Ghost hunting? Really?"

"Yes. Maybe. Don't know. The Tardis picked this up. Caliburn House. Owned by Professor Alec Palmer. Fancy taking a look?" he asked, his green eyes twinkling in excitement.

Rose looked up, her eyes blotchy, and wiped away the tears. There must have been a reason for the Tardis to point the Doctor to this location. Maybe she was trying to help after all.

"Sounds fun," Clara replied, her own face mirroring his jubilance.

"Might want to grab an umbrella. The weather forecast for November twenty-fifth, nineteen seventy four is rainy."

Clara grinned and ran down the stairs and through the passageway to retrieve an umbrella. Rose watched as the Doctor's face slowly became serious and thoughtful as he watched his companion leave. The look in his eyes was almost as though he didn't quite trust her.

Rose hopped off her seat and went to the monitor to read what it said, but it was in Gallifreyan, though there was a picture of a distinguished looking man who looked to be in his early forties, maybe late thirties. He had black hair and wore glasses.

Clara came back with a red umbrella clutched in her hand and grinned at him. "Ready."

He rubbed his hands together, the smile back on his face. "Right. Let's go find us some ghosts."

He set the co-ordinates and soon the Tardis landed. He and Clara looked at each other and then raced up the stairs, throwing the doors open and were greeted with a heavy downfall of rain. Clara hastily opened the umbrella, the Doctor stooping to seek some shelter under it.

Rose looked around the Tardis one more time and turned to follow them. She sincerely hoped that she could leave the Tardis. It was with a sigh of relief when she placed a foot outside the Tardis. She lifted up her foot and noticed that there was no footprint in the mud where she had just been standing. She really was a ghost.

She looked up and raced after the Doctor and Clara, the rain going through her, not even making her wet.

They reached the mansion, taking shelter under the cover of the doorway. The doors were huge and made of heavy polished wood with iron knockers on each door. Clara folded up her umbrella and the Doctor slowly lifted a knocker in his hand, banging it against the wood three times. He waited and then knocked again three times. Again he waited and then knocked three more times.

He grinned, his ear pushed against the wood and motioned for Clara to move aside and out of sight, as he did the same.

The door slowly opened and then the Doctor jumped out. "Boo!" He chuckled at the look of surprise on the man and woman's face. "Hello. I'm looking for a ghost."

The man took a deep breath, recovering from his surprise. "And you are?" he enquired in a deep, baritone voice.

Clara stepped out, her umbrella in her hand. "Ghostbusters," she stated with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Rose smiled sadly as she remembered that day when the she and the Doctor were investigating the ghosts and he made the reference to Ghostbusters. The day of the Battle of Canary Wharf. The day she was separated from him.

A clap of thunder sounded around them, but the Doctor paid it no heed. He pulled out his Psychic Paper and held it up for Professor Palmer to see.

"I'm the Doctor," he greeted cheerfully.

"Doctor what?" Professor Palmer asked.

"If you like," the Doctor replied dismissively and turned to Clara. "And this is Clara." He strolled past the bemused man and into the house, not bothering to be invited in.

He ran down the short hallway and into a room where there were various machines set up. Clara followed him and Rose followed more slowly, her arms thrust deep into her jacket pocket. As she passed the woman in the hallway, she heard her take a gasp. Rose stopped and turned to look at the woman, who was wearing a plain brown skirt and a long sleeved shirt and a woolen knit vest pulled over that. She wore no make-up, but there was something about her that was compelling. She had a kind face, kind eyes.

"Can you see me?" Rose asked.

The woman frowned and then blinked as the Doctor made noises of excitement as he reached the room and sat down in front of one of the machines. The woman followed the man and they went to join the Doctor. Rose sighed and went after them.

The Doctor stood and turned, pointing a finger at the man. "You are Major Alec Palmer. Member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Specialised in espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance behind enemy lines." The Doctor had made his way to Alec, talking more animatedly. "You're a talented watercolorist, professor of psychology and ghost hunter. Total pleasure. Massive."

The whole time he was talking, Alec was looking more and more uncomfortable, nervously adjusting his glasses and then took them off. The Doctor shook his hand, his face split in a wide grin.

"Actually, you're wrong," the woman interrupted. "Professor Palmer spent most of the war as a POW."

The Doctor turned to her, giving her his attention. "Actually, that's a lie told by a very brave man involved in very secret operations." Alec was now looking down at the floor, uncomfortable and nervous. "The type of man who keeps a Victoria Cross in a box in the attic, eh?" He slapped Alec conspiratorially on the shoulder. He then turned back to the woman. "But you know that, because you're Emma Grayling, the Professor's companion." He now clasped her on the shoulders and kissed the air on either side of her head. She looked just as bewildered as the Professor.

"Assistant," she corrected, a bit shell-shocked.

He turned to both of them, his hands flapping about. "It's nineteen seventy four. You're the assistant and," he now made semi-colon marks with his fingers in the air, "non-objective equipment." He turned to Clara, who was standing by the machines. "Meaning psychic."

"Getting that. Bless you, though," she replied back cheekily, grinning.

The Doctor patted Alec on the arm again and strolled over to Clara.

"Relax, Emma. He's Military Intelligence," Alec spoke up, gaining some of his confidence as he put his glasses back on. He now addressed the Doctor. "So, what is this all in aid of?"

Rose stood off to the side, her back to the dark hallway behind her. She turned her head slowly to look back at the foreboding darkness. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up. It felt like she was being watched, which was impossible, considering she was now a ghost.

Her attention was drawn back to the Doctor as he replied, "Health and Safety. Yeah, the Ministry got wind of what was going on down here." He clasped his head together, trying to give off the air of importance and formidableness. He placed his hands on his hips as he continued. "Sent me too check that everything's in order."

"They don't have the right," Alec protested.

"Don't worry, guvnor. I'll be out of your hair in five minutes," he said, turning to face Clara who was sitting on the desk with the equipment. He turned back and grinned at Alec, snapping his fingers as he pointed to a piece of equipment. "Oh! Oh look. Oh, lovely. The ACR nine nine eight two one." He came and plonked himself down next to Clara, who was grinning along with his enthusiasm. "Oh bliss. Nice action on the toggle switches," he enthused, flicking the toggle switch up and down in a series of motion. "You know, I do love a toggle switch." He stopped flicking the switch and clasped his hands in his lap, resting his feet on the chair and turned to Clara in an ordinary conversational manner. "Actually, I like the word toggle. Nice noun. Excellent verb. Oi, don't mess with the settings," he scolded, smacking Clara on the hand.

Rose looked over at Alec and Emma, who both glanced at each other with perplexed expressions that was mixed with nervousness.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and started scanning the room, even pointing the green lit tip in both Alec and Emma's faces. He swiftly walked past them and continued scanning, even sweeping over Rose.

"What's that?" Alec asked.

"Gadget. Health and Safety," he replied, peering at the readings on the sonic. "Classified, I'm afraid," he continued, walking closer to Rose and the hallway behind her. "You know, while the back room boffins works out the kinks." He stopped just in front of Rose and scanned. Rose stood perfectly still, silently praying that something would come up on his sonic to alert him of her presence.

"What's it telling you?" Clara asked as she came to stand beside Alec and Emma, who were watching the Doctor intently.

"It's telling me that you haven't been exposed to any life-threatening trans mundane emanations," he replied absently as he checked the readings. He placed the sonic back in his pocket, his face showing no signs of having found anything surprising. Like her. He turned back to them and clapped his hands together. "So, where's the ghost?" He asked as he picked up a three-pronged candlestick. "Show me the ghost." There was a loud bang from upstairs and the Doctor looked up, his face lit up in a grin. "It's ghost time."

He walked up the stairs, the candles casting meagre light down the long corridor. Rose followed behind them, mulling over what she could do to let the Doctor know her predicament.

"I will not have this stolen out from under me, do you understand," Alec said, his voice irate as he followed the Doctor closely.

"Er, no. Not really. Sorry," the Doctor replied.

"I will not have my work stolen, then fobbed off with a pat on the back and a letter from the Queen," Alec stated, his voice rising in anger. "Never again. This is my house, Doctor, and it belongs to me."

The Doctor glanced at Alec with a quizzical look and then his attention was diverted elsewhere.

"This is actually your house?" Clara asked disbelievingly.

Alec glanced at her and then back at the Doctor. "It is."

Clara let out a shocked laugh. "Sorry. You went to the bank and said, you know that gigantic old haunted house on the moors? The one the dossers are too scared to doss in? The one the birds are too scared to fly over? And then you said, I'd like to buy it, please, with my money."

The Doctor who had been shining the light from the candles all over the hallway walked back and shone the candlelight in Alec's face, peering at him thoughtfully.

Alec turned to Clara. "Yes, I did, actually."

Clara crossed her arms. "That's incredibly brave," she replied, a hint of admiration in her voice.

Suddenly a creek, followed by a bang, startled them. Rose peered from where they had just come from. Was something following them?

"Listen, Major," the Doctor said in a low voice, addressing Alec, "we just need to know what's going on here."

Alec swallowed. "For the Ministry?"

"You know I can't answer that."

Alec glanced down and seemed to come to a decision. "Very well. Follow me."

He led them back to where they had come from and then took another hallway, where there was at least electricity. They entered a smallish cluttered room, the living room, which was lit with garish floral lamps. Rose looked around at the paintings that looked to be very old, each depicting a man or woman of days long gone by. Some walls were wood paneling and some were painted a peach color.

The Doctor picked up a camera and proceeded to take selfies. Rose grinned as she walked past him. He certainly was odd in this regeneration, all gangly limbs and very uncoordinated in his movements. But those emerald green eyes were sharp and intelligent as always and in their depths was kindness. A kind soul. She felt herself drawn to this Doctor, just as she had been with her previous two. Same man, different face.

Clara and Emma went to sit by a small table by a window. The table was piled with snacks and drinks.

"So what's an emphatic psychic?" Clara asked Emma.

"Sometimes I sense feelings, the way a telepath can sense thoughts. Sometimes, though. Not always," Emma explained.

The Doctor had strolled over to the two women and picked up a glass bottle of milk and drank straight from the bottle. Rose grimaced. This was worse than him eating jam straight from the jar with his fingers. He swallowed his mouthful and elaborated. "The most compassionate people you'll ever meet, emphatics. And the loneliest. I mean, exposing themselves to all those feelings, all that guilt, pain and sorrow and…"

As he spoke Rose watched as Emma's face fell in despair. Clara picked this up as well and she interrupted the Doctor.

"Doctor?"

He looked down at Clara. "Yes?"

"Shush," she ordered.

Rose felt grateful for her interference. She didn't think she could bear to watch Emma's curse play out on her face any longer. The Doctor seemed to come to this realisation, though too late, and guilt shamed his face.

Alec walked back into the room. "Would you care to have a look?" he asked as he flipped an old-style board over. There were numerous photos pinned to the board. They all went over to take a better look.

Alec stood back, his arms crossed over his chest and started his lecture. "Caliburn House is over four hundred years old, but she has been here much longer. The Caliburn Ghast."

Rose strode forward to take a closer look. In each photograph was a ghostly figure, some a bit blurry, others showing her with a gaping wide mouth, her hand outstretched, as though reaching out for something. Or someone.

"She's mentioned in local Saxon poetry and parish folk tales. The Wraith of the Lady. The Maiden in the Dark. The Witch of the Well," Alec continued.

Clara stepped forward, coming to stand next to the Doctor. "Is she real? As in actually real?"

The Doctor shot her a look as though he couldn't believe she was buying into a ghost story.

"Oh, she's real. In the seventeenth century, a local clergyman saw her. He wrote that her presence was accompanied by a dreadful knocking, as if the Devil himself demanded entry."

Both Clara and the Doctor stood still, riveted by the story Alec was weaving. Rose found that she, too, found this story interesting. But she couldn't help but wonder how all this was going to help her?

Alec shifted his attention to some other photos and continued. "During the war, American airmen stationed here left offerings of tinned Spam. The tins were found in nineteen sixty-five, bricked up in the servants' pantry, along with a number of handwritten notes. Appeals to the Ghast. For the love of God, stop screaming," he said, pointing to one such note.

There was momentary silence as they grasped what he had told them. Then Clara spoke up as she stared at the photos. "She never changes. The angle's different, the framing, but she's always in exactly the same position. Why is that?"

Rose blinked. Clara was right. She should have noticed that.

The Doctor bought over the candles, peering thoughtfully at the photos.

"We don't know. She's an objective phenomenon, but objective recording equipment can't detect her," Alec answered.

"Without the presence of a powerful psychic," the Doctor mused.

Alec took off his glasses. "Absolutely. Very well done."

Rose looked at Emma. She was an emphatic psychic. Someone who could help her. She stepped closer. "Help me," she pleaded.

"She knows I'm here. I can feel her calling out to me," Emma stated, her voice gasping, her face slightly pale.

"What's she saying?" Clara asked.

Emma swallowed. "Help me." Her eyes landed on the Doctor.

Rose felt a sense of giddiness and relief. Emma might be the one to help her.

The Doctor looked slightly pale and he, too, swallowed hard. But he turned his attention back to the photos.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rose thought she saw a shadowy figure scurry past the doorway and turned to look, noticing that Clara had done the same. It was with a feeling of dread that she realised there was something else in the house besides a ghost.

"The Witch of the Well," the Doctor mused, looking over the photos. He turned to Alec, his intelligent eyes thoughtful. "So where's the well?"

Alec walked to another table with papers strewn over it. He pointed to a copy of the estate. "A copy of the oldest plan we could find. There is no well on the property. None that we could find, anyway."

The doctor placed the candlestick holder on the table and started rifling through the sheets, reading through the ones that caught his interest. Clara sidled up to the board with the photos, staring at the figure of the ghost.

Rose decided to try and talk to Emma, but her focus was solely on Alec and she showed no sign that she could sense Rose anymore. Rose huffed in frustration.

She looked over and watched as the Doctor tapped Clara on the head, making her jump in surprise. She turned to face him, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"You coming?" he whispered.

"Where?" she asked.

"To find the ghost," he replied, his tone stating that this should have been obvious.

"Why would I want to do that?" she asked.

"Because you want to. Come on," he said impatiently, turning to walk out the room, candlestick once again in his hand.

"Well, I dispute that assertion," Clara stated, staying right where she was, her arms crossed over her chest.

The Doctor turned and motioned with his head. "I'm giving you a face. Can you see me? Look at my face," he said, motioning some more with his head for her to follow him.

She sighed and came to stand by him. "Fine. Dare me."

The Doctor smiled. "I dare you. No takesies backsies."

Clara grinned at him, her dimples showing up when she smiled. Rose wandered over to them. She might as well see what they were going to uncover.

Clara took the candlestick holder and left the room. The Doctor clapped his hand and chuckled, knowing he had won this round.

"The music room is the heart of the house," Emma called after them. The Doctor turned to look at her, his face perplexed. Rose frowned as well. What did that mean? The Doctor nodded and left with Clara, Rose following close behind them.

They walked down a few corridors, each one seeming more dark and foreboding than the next.

"Say we actually find her. What do we say?" Clara asked.

"We ask her how she came to be…whatever she is," he replied, testing a doorknob and finding it locked.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know and ignorance is…" he paused, trying to think of the right word. "What' the opposite of bliss?"

Clara thought and then replied. "Carlisle."

He snapped his fingers. "Yes. Yes. Carlisle. Ignorance is Carlisle."

They made their way to the end of the hallway and found themselves just outside the entrance of the kitchen. As the Doctor and Clara entered the kitchen, Rose paused and looked over her shoulder. She peered in the shadows and almost screamed in horror as something moved in jerky, alien manner on all fours. Like something out of an exorcist movie. She raced into the kitchen and turned to look behind her, but the creature was gone.

Her heart thudded in her chest, her breathes coming out in gasps. What was that…thing? She looked over at the other two, who were slowly going through the kitchen, the Doctor peering under tables and looking in the teapot. They made their way out the other door and Rose hastily followed them. She didn't want another encounter with that creature.


	4. Chapter 4

They made their way to a room that was dark and ominous, a big harp standing off to the side. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling and tall brass candle holders stood in various positions in the room. An unused fireplace was built into the wall, the frame white and ornately made. Moonlight filtered through the windows, though giving very little comforting light to the room. A Persian rug lay in the middle of the floor, though Rose couldn't tell the colors in the gloom.

"Ah, the music room," the Doctor stated, making his way further into the room. "The heart of the house. Do you feel anything?" he asked, taking out his sonic and scanning the room.

"No."

He looked up at Clara and grinned. "Your pants are so on fire." The sonic made a stuttering noise and the Doctor smacked it against the palm of his hand, trying to get it to work. He breathed on it and rubbed it with his sleeve and continued to scan.

Clara looked around nervously, her candle holder clutched in her hand. "Do you feel like you're being watched?"

The Doctor was peering at the readings on his sonic and then pocketed it. He turned to her and asked in a low voice, "What does being watched feel like? Is it that funny tickly feeling on the back of your neck?"

"That's the chap."

"Then, yes. A bit. Well, quite a big bit," he replied, a smile spreading on his face.

Clara didn't look reassured by his words.

The Doctor paced the room slowly, his posture slightly hunched. Suddenly there was a creaking sound behind her and Rose whirled around as it was accompanied by a rattling sound. Like the sound the Predator made in the movies. It was not a very reassuring sound. Rose looked back and saw Clara was also looking in the general direction the creaking had come from.

"I think she's here," Clara whispered.

The Doctor ignored her, stepping back and forth in the one spot, breathing out each time. "Cold spot," he mused and then turned around. "Cold." He stepped back. "Warm." He stepped forward again. "Cold." He now stepped to the side, as though he was doing a slow step to a dance. "Warm." He continued alternating those words as he stepped about and stooped to draw a circle around him in chalk.

The creaking behind her got louder and Rose spun around again. She peered in the shadows and gulped as she saw something moving within its depths. She took a slow step back and the floorboards creaked beneath her feet. She stopped and frowned. That was odd.

Clara called out. "Doctor." When he didn't respond she called out again, louder, "Doctor!"

He was busy scanning his circle that he had made and looked up at her. "What?"

"I'm not happy," Clara said, her voice tinted with fear and nervousness.

"No," the Doctor replied and pocketed his sonic, strolling out the room with a new sense of purpose.

Another creaking sound alerted Rose and she spun around. Was it her imagination or had the shadow shifted, getting closer to her. Clara had also turned around to look in the direction and turned back, realising the Doctor had left her alone. She ran after him, shouting an indignant "Hey," after him.

Rose was just about to turn and follow after them when the shadow shifted and then emerged in a jerky movement as it advanced after her. It was on all fours, its motions jerky and almost spider-like. In the darkness of the room Rose couldn't make out any features of the monster, just that it looked damned scary.

She turned and ran after the Doctor, but as soon as she stepped in the circle, the scene changed around her. She halted and blinked. She was in a forest of some sort, an eerie fog surrounding her. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Where was she?

She heard another scuttling, creaking sound from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and thought she saw something by the trees moving, something that looked very similar to the monster she had encountered in the house. Had it followed her here?

She didn't stop to think about it. She took off into the depths of the forest and skidded to a halt when she came to the 'edge'. She gasped as she looked around, the thick fog enveloping her. She was on a floating island in the middle of nowhere.

The creaking sounded again and she turned and ran off in the other direction. This monster could obviously see or sense her. She didn't fancy becoming its meal. She stopped, breathing heavily, trying to orient herself. She heard something behind her, though this sound was different. She turned and gasped as she saw a woman in a white astronaut suit running towards her. But she showed no signs of seeing Rose. She ran past her, her face contorted in fear. It was the look of someone being hunted.

The creaking sounded again and Rose turned and saw the creature emerge, advancing on her. She wasted no time and ran after the woman. But she was suddenly knocked down, landing hard on the ground. She rolled over and came face to face with the monster that was pinning her down.

She screamed and tried to scrabble out of its clutches. "Help me!" she screamed, though she knew no help would come. This was it. She was going to die.

The creature turned its head, as though hearing another sound and was instantly off of Rose, instantly gone. She didn't hesitate. She scrabbled to her feet and ran in the direction of the woman, spotting her just up ahead.

She skidded to a halt when a black 'disc' appeared in front of her, rotating and spinning. It was starting to spin faster and as she peered in the inky blackness, she thought she could make out the Doctor. The creaking sounded again behind her. She looked back and came to a decision. She ran straight to the disc and flung herself in, closing her eyes and hoping she had found a way out of here.

She landed hard on a wooden floor and gasped for air. She glanced up and almost cried in relief when she saw she was back in the house. Alec was supporting Emma, who looked very pale and faint.

"Doctor," Clara called, looking up at the wall by the staircase. Rose pushed herself up and looked over and saw the words 'Help Me' written on the wall in an icy mist. The words disappeared and Rose noticed the black disc tremble and then vanish as well in a burst of light. Everyone seemed frozen where they stood. The Doctor especially looked shell-shocked at having seen those words, his face even more pale than usual.

She blinked back tears of relief at having escaped and all she wanted to do was run into his arms and draw some comfort from him. But she couldn't even do that. She went to the chair and sat down heavily, her body still trembling. And she thought about the other woman who was alone and scared on that island. So alone and afraid, running for her life through the dense fog, not knowing if she was going to get out alive or not. She, at least, had made it out.

It was decided that Clara would take Emma back to the living room to recuperate and the Doctor and Alec would go to the dark room and develop the photos the Doctor had taken. Rose stood, trying to decide which direction to go. She should follow Emma and try and get a message through, but the poor woman looked so frail and haunted. Rose decided to leave her alone for the time being and followed the Doctor.

Rose watched from the doorway, leaning again the closed door, her one arm crossed over her stomach loosely as she nibbled on her thumb nail.

The room had a red glow to it, as was the norm for dark rooms. Alec was prodding some pictures in the basin where the films were being developed and the Doctor was examining the photos hanging up on the lines.

"I had a little peek at your records, back at the Ministry. You've certainly seen a thing or two in your time," he mused as he walked up to the sink, leaning over it to talk to Alec. Alec peered at him over his glasses, but said nothing. "Disrupting U-boat operations across the North Sea, sabotaging railway lines across Europe. Operation Gibbon. The one with the carrier pigeons. Brilliant." His face took on a nostalgic look. "I do love a carrier pigeon."

Rose wondered briefly about the story behind that, both with Alec and the Doctor.

"I did my duty, but then, so did thousands of others," Alec replied humbly, or maybe a bit dismissively. "Millions of others. I was just lucky enough to come back."

"Yes, but how does that man, that war hero, end up here in a lonely old house, looking for ghosts?" the Doctor asked, tapping the one photo for emphasis.

Alec looked up at him, his eyes slightly haunted behind his specs. "Because I killed. And I caused to have killed. I sent young men and women to their deaths, but here I am, still alive, and it does tend to…haunt you." He paused, looking down fleetingly in shame and guilt. "Living, after so much of the…other thing."

The Doctor stared at him, his face contemplative and his own shame and guilt written in those green eyes.

Alec continued to prod the photos in the basin with rubber tipped prongs, waiting patiently for them to develop. "You see, I was alone and unmarried and didn't mind dying. I mean, not for that cause. It was a very, very fine cause, defeating the enemy."

The Doctor straightened and strolled to the other side of the basin to stand next to Alec, his arms crossed. "And if you could contact them, what would you say?" he asked casually.

Alec looked up at him and gave him a secretive smile. "I would very much like to thank them."

"Ah," the Doctor murmured, smiling. He looked down and saw the picture was developed and picked it up with the prongs, shaking the excess liquid off of it and pegging it on the line to dry. Rose came to stand behind them to take a closer look. It looked the same as the others, though the Doctor's face was in the picture this time, his chin looking quite prominent, the eerie blurred figure of the ghost behind him.

"Who do you think she is?" Alec asked.

"Not what I thought she'd be," he replied.

"What did you think she'd be?"

"Fun," the Doctor said, his tone sounding disappointed. "Can I borrow your camera?"

Alec reached for his camera and handed it to the Doctor.

"Ta," he said and left the room, a sense of purpose in his strides. Rose hastily followed after him.

"Clara!" he yelled out, striding to the living room.

Clara poked her head out of the doorway and arched an eyebrow enquiringly.

"Grab the umbrella. We're going back to the Tardis."

"What for?" she asked.

"To get some evidence," he replied cryptically, and headed for the front door.

Rose watched Clara as she watched the Doctor. In that look was something close to besotted, but there was also weariness. Rose peeked into the room as Clara left and saw Emma sitting there, cradling a cup of tea in her hand. She looked up, as though sensing her, and frowned when she saw no one there.

"Who are you?" Emma asked softly, though without fear.

"My name is Rose. Rose Tyler," Rose answered. She was slightly disappointed when Emma continued to stare and then took a sip of her tea and looked out the window at the rain pouring down.


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor and Clara ran through the rain, the Doctor vainly seeking shelter under her umbrella. They passed under the archway and Clara stopped. Rose, who had been running after them, stopped as well, wondering what the problem was.

"I've got this weird feeling it's looking at me," Clara whispered to the Doctor. "It doesn't like me."

Rose chuckled, though she did find it odd that the Tardis was making it very obvious to a companion that she didn't like her. She had received nothing but affection from the old girl. So why didn't the Tardis like Clara?

The Doctor looked at her and then back at the Tardis. "The Tardis is like a cat. A bit slow to trust, but you'll get there in the end," he explained offhandedly and then raced inside.

Clara bit her bottom lip uncertainly and then looked back behind her, deciding she wasn't going to risk standing out here. She ran up the Tardis and tried the door, which was resolutely locked. Rose was standing behind her and raised an eyebrow at the Tardis questioningly. The Tardis just gave a noncommittal hum.

Clara knocked on the door and a few seconds later the Doctor opened it to let her in. Rose slipped in after her and strolled up to the console, running her hand over it lovingly. But she could sense the hostility the Tardis was throwing in Clara's direction.

"Why do you dislike her?" Rose murmured. The Tardis remained silent.

The Doctor was now at the console, peering at the monitor.

"Hey, you need a place to keep this," Clara said, indicating to the umbrella.

The Doctor looked up and pointed behind her. "Got one."

Clara turned around, but there was no umbrella stand to be seen.

"Or I had one. I think I had one," he babbled uncertainly. "Look around. See if you can find it." He looked under the console and straightened. "Did I have one? Am I going mad?"

Rose grinned and looked up at the ceiling. "You hid it, didn't you?"

The Tardis gave a slight hum that sounded distinctly amused.

Clara started shaking the water off the umbrella and Rose could sense the irritation coming from the Tardis.

"Maybe you shouldn't have hidden the umbrella stand. Then you wouldn't be getting wet," Rose stated. The Tardis ignored her.

"No, not in here," the Doctor scolded, marching up to Clara and snatching the umbrella out of her hand. "How do you expect her to like you? She's soaking wet." He turned and threw the umbrella to the side. "It's a health and safety nightmare."

Clara looked chastened and Rose felt sorry for her. "You should be nicer to her. Give her a chance," Rose reasoned with the stubborn Tardis.

Clara looked up at the ceiling and whispered, "Sorry."

The Tardis hummed in an annoyed manner, though Rose couldn't tell if she was annoyed at Clara or at her for trying to reason with her. Probably both. The Doctor glanced up at the ceiling, frowning slightly.

"So, where are we going?" Clara asked, sounding more chipper.

"Nowhere. We're staying right here," the Doctor replied, starting to push buttons and flip switches. "Right here, on this exact spot, if I can work out how to do it."

"So," Clara said, drawing out that syllable, "when are we going?"

Rose grinned. She really did like Clara. She was funny and smart. The Doctor looked up, his own face splitting into a wide grin. "Oh, that is good. That is top notch," he chuckled, giving Clara a high five. He turned to descend the stairs.

"And the answer is?" Clara called after him.

The Doctor twirled around. "We're going always," he replied and descended the stairs, going into one of the alcoves.

"We're going always?" Clara clarified.

"Totally."

"That's not actually a sentence," she shot back, coming to stand at the top of the stairs, looking down at him. Rose followed and leaned over the rails to watch him.

He returned with a bright orange space suit and she felt her heart constrict with the painful memory she had of him wearing that suit. The time she almost lost him on Krop Tor.

"Well, it's got a verb in it," he replied and then held up the suit for Clara to see, spinning around once. "What do you think?"

"Um, color's a bit boisterous."

"I think it brings out my eyes," he replied, grinning madly.

"Makes my eyes hurt," she retorted.

His face dropped in disappointment and Rose smiled sadly down at him. In that moment she saw the lonely man he had become, a man wanting acceptance and companionship, both of which had eluded him. She wanted to go down and give him a hug, ease some of that pain. And her own heart broke knowing that she couldn't. Not now.

The Doctor dematerialised the Tardis and put on the space suit. They landed and he grabbed the camera off the console and went outside. Rose watched him on the monitor. The Earth was just a big rock with fissures of lava and gas. The sky was nothing but thick black and grey smoke. He started taking pictures and then hastily made his way back into the Tardis, Clara coming to meet him at the door.

"Back off," he warned. "Hot suit. Hot, hot, hot."

Clara backed away hastily, her hands up in the air. "When are we?" she asked.

His voice was slightly muffled from behind the helmet. "About six billions years ago. It's a Tuesday, I think."

He shed off the suit and tossed it aside and set some other co-ordinates. They exited the Tardis and Rose saw they were now in a tropical jungle with giant dragonflies, the Doctor taking photos. They made a few more stops and eventually they came to a Victorian era where the Caliburn house was newly built and a man and woman in Victorian style clothes walked up the stairs to the house. The Doctor took another photo and they went back into the Tardis.

The Doctor picked up the suit off the floor and put it back on, along with the helmet and sauntered to the door. "Back in a mo," he said, giving a slight wave, and then turned back to Clara. "Are you alright?"

Clara whirled around, having been lost in her thoughts and put on a smile that was just a tad bit too forced. "Totally. Peachy keen."

Rose tilted her head and looked at her. Something was bothering her.

"Okay then. Well, don't push any buttons or pull any levers or make any funny faces," he warned. "Actually don't move. Stand completely still. Don't breathe. Well, you can breathe, but shallow breaths."

Clara raised her eyebrows, but gave him a thumbs up. He grinned back and gave her two thumbs up back and exited the Tardis.

Clara strode to the monitor, which was where Rose was standing, both of them watching him on the screen. The world was nothing but a desolated wasteland, ruins of what had once been structures scattered about. The air shimmered with either radiation or intense heat, the world blanketed in an orange haze.

The Doctor took another picture. Rose was curious as to what the photos would reveal. Clara took a deep shuddering breath, her large eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Rose glanced at her and then back at the monitor and blinked as realisation hit her. She had already been shown the destruction of Earth. But Clara hadn't. This was something she had not been prepared for and now the reality was hitting her hard. Rose shook her head sadly. Sometimes the Doctor was so alien, especially when it came to the feelings of his companions.

He came back in the Tardis and came to stand by the console. He took off his helmet, his floppy hair sticking up slightly. He looked over at Clara, who still had her eyes glued to the scene before her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Did the Tardis say something to you?" He took off his thick gloves and smacked the console. "Are you being mean?" he chided the Tardis.

Rose rolled her eyes. He really was dense sometimes.

"No, it's not that," she replied. "Have we just watched the entire life cycle of Earth, birth to death?" she asked, her eyes still shimmering and watching the monitor.

"Yes," the Doctor replied, slightly puzzled.

"And you're OK with that?"

He paused, his face perplexed. "Yes," he answered slowly.

Clara whipped her head around to face him. "How can you be?"

The Doctor truly looked dumbfounded now. "The Tardis, she's time. We…wibbly Vortex and…so on," he said, stumbling on his words, trying to figure out the best way to answer.

Rose leaned against the console and watched him.

"That's not what I mean," Clara stated.

"Okay, some help," he said slowly. "Context? Cheat sheet? Something?"

Rose bit her bottom lip. He was so different. The other two version she had known weren't so clueless to human emotions that they needed clarification. This him, he was so distant and out of reach. She narrowed her eyes at him. How long had it been since he had been with a companion? Because she was getting the distinct feeling that Clara was still a fairly new companion. So how long had he been alone that he had lost touch with human reality and emotions? She could only guess that it had indeed been a very long time.

Clara looked up at him in frustration. "I mean, one minute you're in nineteen seventy four looking for ghosts, but all you have to do is open your eyes and talk to whoever's standing there. To you, I haven't been born yet. And to you I have been dead one hundred billion years."

He frowned as he thought about what she was telling him.

"Is my body out there somewhere, in the ground?" she asked, pointing to the monitor.

He looked away. "Yes. I suppose it is," he said, walking away. He stopped at the top of the stairs holding on to the banisters as she continued.

"But here we are, talking. So I am a ghost. To you, I'm a ghost. We're all ghosts to you. We must be nothing."

Rose blinked back the tears. Clara had just hit the nail on the head. And it certainly explained his dismissive behaviour of human life in general. They were nothing but ghosts. Even her. And it might explain the sliver of ice in his heart. He had lost so many people that he cared about, that he had to move on and forget and become time hardened.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "No. No. you're not that." He turned back and started going down the stairs. Clara followed after him, persistent to get an answer.

"Then what are we? What can we possibly be?"

He stopped and then turned, leaning on the railings. He slowly looked up at her. "You are the only mystery worth solving." He looked back down and then walked away as Clara stood there stunned.

Rose stood there silently, thinking deep thoughts at his words. The Doctor always had had a fascination with humans, and she supposed that they were a complete and utter mystery to him. But surely he knew there was more to that than just a mystery to solve. Humans were so complex and intriguing creatures. So unpredictable and each one completely different. Had he really become so jaded that he could no longer emphasize with them?

"What happened to him?" she asked softly.

The Tardis gave a soft, mournful hum in response.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor came back a few moments later, the space suit off, and landed the Tardis back at Caliburn House. They ran through the rain again and he walked with purpose through the house finding Alec and Emma.

He and Alec found a projector and set it up in the living room. Clara walked back to the board with the photos of the ghost, staring at them thoughtfully.

Emma sidled up to her and Rose moved closer, wanting to hear what was being said.

"What's wrong?" she asked Clara.

Clara looked at her, slightly startled and then looked back at the photos. "I just saw something I wish I hadn't."

"What did you see?"

Clara turned her attention to Emma. "That everything ends."

Emma blinked and then shook her head. "No, not everything. Not love. Not always." Then she turned her head and Rose gasped as she looked straight at her. Then she blinked and turned her attention to Alec, who was fiddling with the projector. Rose closed her eyes in frustration. She kept thinking that Emma could somehow sense her, but maybe that was just her hoping for something that had no hope.

The Doctor clapped his hands. "Right. Done. That's it. Gather round, gather round. Roll up, roll up," he stated, his voice tinged with impending excitement.

Clara and Emma and Rose came to stand around the projector. Alec placed the slides in and the Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at it, making the first picture pop up on the white screen. Alec looked at the screwdriver with a puzzled expression, one the Doctor ignored.

"The Ghast of Caliburn House. Never changing, trapped in a moment of fear and torment," the Doctor lectured excitedly, his hands flapping about, articulating his words. "But what if she's not? What if she's just trapped somewhere where time runs more slowly than it does here? What if a second to her was a hundred thousand years to us?" His eyes were now glinting manically in excitement. "And what if somebody has a magic box? A blue box, probably," he said aside to Clara, who smiled at the comment, and turned back to Alec and Emma. "What if said somebody could take a snapshot of her, say, every few million years?"

The pictures started flashing on the screen and Rose felt goosebumps raise on her arms as the slides flashed by, showing a woman running. The same woman she had seen in the forest. This was her. Rose turned and grinned at the Doctor. He had found her. Maybe there was a chance to save her after all.

"She's not a ghost. But she's definitely a lost soul," the Doctor continued as the rest of the group look on in stunned silence at the picture of the young woman. He flicked his screwdriver again and a projection of the woman, posing proudly with her helmet tucked under her arm. He walked up to the screen and pointed at her. "Her name is Hila Tacorian. She's a pioneer, a time traveller, or at least she will be in a few hundred years."

Alec spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest. "Time travel is not possible. The paradoxes…"

"Resolve themselves, by and large," the Doctor interrupted.

"How long has she been alone?" Emma asked softly.

"Well, time travels a funny old thing. I mean, from her perspective, her ship crash landed," he flicked his wrist up to look at his watch, "well, um, three minutes ago."

"Crash landed? Where?" Emma asked.

"She's in a pocket universe. A distorted echo of our own. They happen sometimes, but never last for long." He then proceeded to produce a blue balloon from his pocket and blew it up. He held it up for them to see and then produced another balloon, red one this time, and blew that one up as well. He held both balloons up. "Our Universe," he said, holding up the blue balloon. "Hila Tacorian's here, in a pocket universe," he said, indicating the red balloon. He looked now at Emma intently. "You're a lantern, shining across dimensions, guiding her home, back to the land of the living," he said, slowly placing the two balloons together. Then he let the air out of the balloon and grinned at the deflating sound.

Emma grinned back as she realised that she could help this woman, this ghost.

"But what's she running from?" Clara asked.

Rose shuddered as she remembered all too clearly the monster that was stalking Hila. And in turn her.

The Doctor snapped his fingers and pointed at Clara, strolling towards her. Rose watched the intelligence flash in his eyes. He truly was an amazing sight to watch. All uncoordinated movements and odd dress sense, but when he was like this, when he knew what he was talking about, he came across as amazing and brilliant. One couldn't help but be drawn to him.

"Well, that's the best bit. We don't know yet. Shall we see?" he said, pointing his screwdriver at the projector, the familiar whirring sound emanating from it. Rose turned her attention to the screen once more as the next slide came up.

Everyone fell into shocked silence as a picture of the creature that had attacked Rose came into view. Even the Doctor was stunned into silence. It looked exactly as Rose remembered it. It was down on all fours, but something blurry was pinned beneath it. Rose realised that it was her. The Doctor had managed to capture a picture of her. But it was all just a blur. She groaned in frustration. How the hell was he going to realise that it had been her, pinned under that creature?

"Oh," the Doctor said, drawing out the word, emphasising his uncertainty.

"What is that?" Clara asked.

"I don't know," he replied, his eyes still narrowed at the screen. He stepped forward to peer closer at the picture and trailed a long finger thoughtfully over the blur. Rose stepped next to him, willing him to make the connection, to realise that it was her.

"Please, Doctor, it's me," she pleaded. He said nothing, just stared at that spot.

Then he turned around. "Still, not to worry," he said, a smile plastered on his face, clasping his hands in front of him as he turned his attention to the others.

"So, what do we do?" Emma asked softly.

"Not we. You," he corrected.

Alec turned to look at them, his face showing a hint of alarm.

The Doctor continued, walking to stand in front of Emma. "You save Hila Tacorian because you are Emma Grayling. You are the lantern. The rest of us are just along for the ride, I'm afraid," he said, patting her softly on the shoulder. He turned around, his focus now on the task at hand. "We need some sturdy rope and a blue crystal from Metebelis Three," he continued, now walking to the door. He turned around, as though in afterthought, and clarified, "Plus some Kendal Mint Cake." He swiftly turned on his heels and dashed out and Clara raced after him.

Rose looked back at Alec and Emma. She still looked a bit shocked and scared at the prospect of what she had to do. Alec, on the other hand, did not look pleased at all. Rose looked back to the door and then back at Emma. "Tell him how you feel," she said. It was obvious that there was a mutual attraction between the two, but one of them needed to make that first step.

Emma's eyes flickered in her direction. Rose grinned, hoping she had heard and then raced after the Doctor and Clara.

The rain had stopped and as she neared the Tardis, the door silently opened up enough for her to slip in. She grinned and thanked the old girl and made her way down the stairs to the console.

Clara was sitting at the edge, her legs dangling over. "Can't you just, you know?"

"What?" the Doctor queried from down below.

Rose peeked over the railing and saw him rummaging in the lower compartment of the console, looking for the things he needed.

"Fly the Tardis into the parallel universe?"

She saw him pause, but he quickly recovered and lectured, "Ah. It's not a parallel universe. It's a pocket universe. Plus its collapsing," He retrieved a bottle of something and pocketed it, coming to the edge where Clara's feet were dangling. Rose looked down at his floppy hair as he continued. "I mean, the Tardis would get in there alright, but entropy would bleed her power sources, you see. Trap her there until the entire universe decayed back into the quantum foam. Which would take about three minutes, give or take, you know," he said, glancing up at her with a grimace.

Rose glanced up as the Tardis hummed in affirmation. She bit her lower lip, wondering how the Doctor planned to save Hila? But she knew him, and she knew he had a plan. He always did.

She missed the frown the Doctor gave the Tardis, those intelligent eyes knowing that she was communicating with someone, but with whom?

The Doctor collected an impressively long cable and connected it to the Tardis and ran it to the house and all the way to the music room, where it was connected to stand that was the height of the Doctor. A large glowing blue crystal was placed on the stand.

"What is that?" Clara asked, reaching to touch it.

"A subset of the Eye of Harmony," he replied, smacking her hand away.

"I don't…" she said.

"Of course you don't. Be weird if you did. I barely do myself," he interrupted. Rose chuckled. He sounded so much like a scolding grandpa who didn't have much patience to explain things to a child.

"Right," he said to Emma, who was wearing a thick coat, "You, sit down."

Emma obediently complied, though her pinched face showed her nervousness. The Doctor bought over a headset that looked like a golden crown with a blue gem embedded into it and placed it on her head. Another cable ran from the headset to the stand with the crystal.

"All the way from Metebelis Three."

"What does it do?" Emma asked, her voice slightly shaky as she adjusted the headset.

"It amplifies your natural abilities, like a microphone, or a pooper scooper," he offhandedly replied as he flicked his screwdriver to the various clocks that had been placed around the room, all telling different times.

Rose watched curiously, making sure she stayed outside the circle of clocks.

"What exactly is this arrangement?" Alec asked as he paced around the room, a scowl etched on his face.

"A psychocronograph."

"Forgive me, but isn't this all a bit, well, make do and mend?" Alec asked, gesturing all around him.

"Non-psychic technology won't work where I'm going," he elaborated as Clara helped him put on a harness that looked a bit like a parachute. "Listen, all I need to do is dive into another dimension, find the time traveller, help her escape the monster," he said, buckling himself up, "get home before the entire dimension collapses and Bob's your uncle."

Rose felt nervous. He was playing this off way too lightly. This was dangerous, what he was intending on doing, and he knew it. But he was never one to shy away from adventure or the dangers that came with it. If he did, he wouldn't be the Doctor.

"Doctor, will it hurt?" Emma asked tremulously.

The Doctor smiled and knelt in front of her. "No. Well, yes. Probably. A bit." He straightened up. "Well, quite a lot. I don't know. It might be agony. To be perfectly honest, I'll be interested to find out."

Emma swallowed hard at his lack of reassurance, her face paling. She looked away, looking very much scared. She looked up at Alec and he gave her a slow nod, though he, too, didn't look very sure himself.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. "I'm talking to the lost soul that abides in this place. I'm speaking to Hila Tacorian."

The Doctor slowly reached for the rope on the winch and buckled it carefully to his harness. Rose startled as all the clocks started winding backwards, gaining speed, until they were whirring.

Suddenly the black disc from before appeared in the doorway and then exploded, making the doorway into a gateway for the other dimension. Wind gusted around the room and the Doctor peered into the white light that was in the doorway.

Then he turned to them. "See? The Witch of the Well! It's a wormhole. A reality well. A door to the echo universe," he shouted above the din. He turned to Emma. "Ready?"

"Ready!" she screamed, her voice laced with pain as she concentrated on keeping the wormhole open.

The Doctor turned back to face the wormhole and cracked his neck on both sides as he steeled himself. Rose hastily stepped forward and then hesitated. Should she follow the Doctor?

She heard him yell, "Geronimo," and then he ran and jumped into the wormhole. She didn't dare hesitate now. She ran and followed him, following her heart.


	7. Chapter 7

Rose landed hard and rolled to a stop. She scrambled to her feet and saw the Doctor hastily unbuckling his harness and shrugging it off.

"Doctor!" she called, hoping he would hear her.

He glanced around and then took off running, Rose hard on his heels. Even if he couldn't hear or see her, she wasn't going to let him out of her sight.

They came to edge of the island and the Doctor skidded to a halt. He turned this way and that, as his mind made sense of what he was seeing. Then he turned around and floundered back into the woods and the thick fog.

"Hila! Hila! Hila Tacorian!" he shouted as he made his way deeper into the woods. He suddenly stopped and Rose came to a stop as well, just behind him. She strained to hear what he was listening for and shuddered when she heard the eerie creaking sound echo through the woods. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

The Doctor took a tentative step forward and then bounded a few steps ahead and stopped when the creaking sound rebounded, sounding suddenly closer than before. Rose whirled around, trying to see where the monster was, but she couldn't make anything out in the thick fog. She hastily turned back and came to stand by the Doctor.

"One," he counted slowly, closing his eyes. "Two. Three." He snapped his eyes open and spun around.

"Help me. Help," a woman's voice echoed around them.

The Doctor spun around trying to decide which direction to go. He made a decision and just as he forged ahead, he almost ran right into Hila Tacorian. They both jumped back in surprise.

"Hila Tacorian, I presume," the Doctor greeted breathlessly as he grabbed her hand and made to run.

Hila yanked her hand away, a weary look on her face. "Who are you?"

The Doctor skidded to a halt and ran back to her, very much breathless. "Collapsing universe. You and me, dead, two minutes. No time to complete sentences. Abandon planet," he huffed, motioning for her to follow him.

"Wait. There's something in the mist," she said, her voice tinged with genuine fear.

The Doctor turned back to her, looking very much impatient. "Then run! Run!" he ordered, taking off.

She didn't question him further and followed him as they ran through the woods once more, Rose close behind. She kept glancing back, the hairs on the nape of her neck standing up, as she was sure they were now being followed, being pursued. But as fast as they ran, they couldn't seem to outrun the evasive creature.

"Doctor! Doctor!" Emma's voice echoed around them as they ran as fast as they could. "Come home! Doctor, come home."

The creaking and even a snarling could be heard all around, mingling with Emma's words. Rose's lungs ached as she ran, but she didn't dare slow down. She had to stay with him.

They skidded to a halt as they reached the edge of the island, Hila almost running into him. He wagged his fingers in a few directions, a frown etched on his face. "Not that way, which means, er, probably…" he mused and then pointed behind them, running back the way they had come.

Rose rolled her eyes. He was lost. But she quickly followed him. She had no idea where the harness was either.

"What's wrong?" Hila called after him, running to keep up.

"You know that exit I mentioned?"

"Yes?"

"I seem to have misplaced it," he admitted and suddenly stopped, straining his ears to listen.

They both slowly turned to listen as the creaking sounded again, both nearly jumping in fright when they bumped into each other. Rose glanced around, her eyes wide with fear. But she had to trust him. They had been in worse situations, and he had gotten them out. This time wouldn't be any different.

"Doctor!" Emma's voice called from deep in the fog.

"This way," the Doctor said softly and they took off again.

"Doctor! We're here!" Emma called.

Suddenly Caliburn house appeared ahead of them, just beyond the woods.

"Whoa," the Doctor declared in wonder.

"What's that?" Hila asked panting.

"An echo house in an echo universe. Clever psychic. That is just top notch." He licked his dry lips and then they took off for the house.

They burst through the front doors and the Doctor and Hila hastily shut the heavy wooden doors, leaning against them as they caught their breath. The Doctor jumped to action and tied the handles with a red piece of rope and then pressed his ear against the wood.

There was the unmistakable sound of something scratching at the wood, desperately trying to get in.

"It's looking for a way in," he muttered.

They scurried through the house and made it to the music room. The Doctor shut the door behind them and pointed his sonic at the lock, trying to lock the door. The wind coming from the wormhole was almost deafening.

"Grab the rope. Give it three tugs, quick as you like," he ordered, smacking the screwdriver against his palm as it malfunctioned.

Hila hastily put on the harness and buckled herself up. "What bout you?" she asked.

"I'll be next," he replied and turned back to the door, loosening his bow tie.

Hila didn't question him and tugged three times on the rope and soon was pulled into the wormhole. The Doctor worked to secure the door with his bow tie.

"Doctor! Hurry!" Rose cried out in frustration, standing by the wormhole, knowing full well he couldn't hear her. She wasn't going to leave without him.

He ran forward and there was three banging knocks on the door, which made him stop. He grinned and said, "Oh, that's what that noise was. Lovely!" He stepped forward but stopped as the light from the wormhole faded away.

Rose stared with wide eyes at the now ordinary looking doorway, the horror of the situation crashing down on her. They had been left behind. They were now stuck and were going to die here very soon unless Emma could reopen the wormhole.

The Doctor seemed to have come to the same realisation. He slowly turned around, his eyes slowly roving around the now quiet house, his face set in a displeased grimace. He lifted one foot and placed it down testingly.

Instantly the house was gone and they were back in the woods, the fog enveloping them. Rose took a shuddering breath and watched as the Doctor slowly turned around. The creaking sounded again around them and they both spun around. She glanced back at him and watched as he slowly knelt and picked up his bow tie, his eyes never leaving the woods around him.

"Oh dear," he murmured, his ancient green eyes now very frightened. He stood up, though his posture was still hunched as he whirled around. The creaking came again and Rose spun around as well, trying to see the monster.

"Where are you?" he asked softly.

"Right here," she replied, though she knew he was addressing the creature.

Suddenly they saw the creature in the distance as its head snapped up and they both took off in the opposite direction, fleeing into the woods.

They ran, the Doctor halting a few times as he tried to decide where to go. Rose hunched over, gasping for breath and looked up at the very frightened Doctor. She had seen him scared before, but this time was different.

"Doctor, we're here. Come home," Emma called, the Caliburn materialising in the distance.

"Emma!" he called, sprinting towards the house.

The House morphed into a light and disappeared. The Doctor stopped. There was a snarl around him and he swallowed hard, turning slowly in a circle.

"What do you want?" he asked in a tremulous voice. "To frighten me, I suppose, eh? Because that's what you do. You hide."

There was an echo of what was unmistakably a malicious chuckle, though deep in baritone.

"You're the bogeyman under the bed, seeking whom you may devour."

Again there was that eerie laughter and they both spun around, the Doctor crying out in fear. Rose could feel the icy fear creeping into her heart and veins. Her senses were heightened, which was a bad thing, because she was now jumpy and paranoid and expecting the monster to jump out at any time.

"You want me to be afraid. Then well done." Rose glanced at him as he uttered those words, wanting nothing but to grasp his hand and comfort him. "I am the Doctor, and I am afraid."

She believed him, because she was very much afraid as well.

The malicious chuckle echoed around them again.

The Doctor swallowed hard and steeled himself. He had never been one to let fear get in the way.

He extended his arms, hesitantly at first. "So why am I still here, huh? Why not just eat me?"

Rose gaped at him. He was right. Of course he was right. They both should have been dead by now. This monster was very capable of ending them in a blink of an eye. There was another reason, and the look in his eyes told her that he already knew the answer to that question.

"Because you still need me," he concluded. "Yeah, you need me to piggyback you across," he stated with a smirk, gesturing with his fingers for the creature to follow. "To which I say, come on then, big boy, chase me."

He turned swiftly and sprinted into the woods, Rose following close behind. She could hear the thing snarling and snapping as it chased them.

"Hurry!" she shrieked as the thing closed in on them.

They broke through to a clearing and suddenly the Doctor went sprawling on the ground, the monster on top of him. They rolled around and the creature reared up, ready to strike.

"No!" Rose shrieked and shoved at the monster with everything she had. Surprisingly, the creature fell back and she hastily stepped back, getting ready for its next attack. The creature reared up and faced Rose. She heard the impossible sound of the Tardis and looked up to see it spinning through the air, coming straight for them. She instinctively ducked and the Tardis knocked the monster through the air.

The Doctor sprang to his feet, chuckling gleefully. The Tardis made an arch and came back towards them. The Doctor started running and she took this as her cue and ran after him. She looked back and saw the door to the Tardis open and she flung herself in, landing hard on the floor and gasping for air.

She quickly scrambled up and peeked out the door, and saw the Doctor clinging for dear life to the Tardis, his eyes huge, as they pummeled towards the wormhole that Emma was keeping open. The Tardis slammed the door in her face, effectively keeping her inside and she felt a reassuring hum, the Tardis letting her know the Doctor was going to be alright.

They spun at an alarming and rough speed through the wormhole, Rose clinging to the railings, praying this would all be over soon. The poor Doctor must be having one hell of a ride out there.

The Tardis stopped and Clara groaned, but quickly made her way to the door. Rose followed her, stumbling on unsteady legs and saw the Doctor give Clara a high five, though he looked thoroughly shell-shocked and dazed, his eyes huge as saucers. Most probably wondering how he had survived that.

He wobbled over to Emma who was sobbing in agony and being supported by Alec and Hila.

Once he was sure that she was okay, he straightened and turned to face the window, the morning light shining down on his smiling face. Rose stepped out of the Tardis and went to stand next to him, smiling softly to herself as she gazed at him. He had done it. He was still the Doctor. Still brilliant and enigmatic and absolutely wonderful.

She sighed and turned to go back into the Tardis, her hand brushing against his, but was too lost in her thoughts to notice the touch, let alone that his fingers twitched, as though he had felt her.


	8. Chapter 8

Rose leaned against the console, deep in thought. She was stuck and she had tried communicating with the psychic, but to no avail. She felt tears well up and she swallowed hard. She would not cry. She couldn't give up hope. There had to be a way.

"What do I do now?" she asked the Tardis.

The Tardis hummed and then she felt a mental nudge, as though the Tardis was urging her to go out and try one more time.

She took a deep breath. The Tardis was right. She had to try, at least one more time. She walked out and found everyone now making their way out of the room and she followed, staying back and watching them.

Alec was talking to Hila as they made their way down the hallway to go outside. Clara who had been walking with a deeply silent Doctor, broke away to join them in the garden. Emma hung back and the Doctor stopped, leaning against the door, his arms and ankles crossed in a deeply contemplative manner.

Emma sidled up to him and Rose stood back to listen.

"You wanted a word?" she asked.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at her. "Well, if that's…"

"That's fine," she interrupted. "You didn't come here for the ghost, did you?" It was a statement.

The Doctor turned his attention to her, facing her directly. "No."

"You came here for me."

"Yes." His green eyes were sharp and cunning.

"Why?" she asked.

"I need to ask you something."

Rose swallowed. Was he going to ask about her? Had he somehow sensed her and wanted clarification?

"Then ask."

"Clara," he replied simply. Rose felt her hopes fall. Of course it wasn't about her. She should have known by the shrewd way he looked at Clara when she wasn't looking. There was something about her that he didn't trust.

Emma looked just ass surprised. "Yes?"

"What is she?" he asked, turning his sharp attention back to Clara, Alec and Hila, who were talking animatedly in the garden.

Emma looked taken aback by the question. "She's a girl."

"Yes, but what kind of girl, specifically?" he asked impatiently.

Emma blinked. "She's a perfectly ordinary girl. Very pretty, very clever."

The Doctor hummed his agreement and Rose felt a spike of jealousy, which she quickly shook off. The Doctor chose the best when it came to companions. She was no different.

"More scared than she lets on," Emma continued.

The Doctor frowned, the answer not pleasing him. "And that's it, is it?"

"Why? Is that not enough?" Emma asked incredulously.

The Doctor didn't bother to reply, instead watching Clara with an intense, narrowed gaze.

Emma decided to leave him and join the others as they made their way to another part of the garden. The Doctor stood there for a moment. Then he glanced back and Rose felt her breath stutter as he looked straight at her. But he then turned and walked back to the room and soon she heard the Tardis dematerialise. She didn't feel concerned. She knew he would not leave a companion behind, and she was certain the Tardis would not let him take off without her being on board. He must be parking her elsewhere.

She trotted up to the group and soon she heard the Tardis materialising in another part of the garden where there were large pillars and archways. Alec, Emma, Hila and Clara strolled at a leisurely pace towards the Tardis and soon the Doctor joined them, his face now cheerful none of the darkness from before showing.

It was discussed that the Doctor would take Hila somewhere and Emma gave her a hug goodbye.

"Where will you go?" she asked Hila.

"He can't take me home. History says I went missing."

"But he can change history," Emma said knowingly.

The Doctor hastily interrupted. "No, no, no. I can't actually. There are fixed points in time, you see…"

Clara trotted over and poked her head under his arm, effectively grabbing it. "Hi," she said, beaming, and then roughly pulled him away. They stood back and watched as Hila and Emma talked.

"I knew you were there. I could feel you," Hila said.

Emma smiled softly. "I know."

Hila frowned slightly. "Have we…"

"We can't have," Emma finished, her own frown on her face. "You haven't even been born yet."

The Doctor grinned as he watched them and pranced over. "No, you can't have met, but she can be your great, great, great, great, great granddaughter. Yours, too, of course," he said to Alec who was walking towards them. "But you guessed that already, didn't you?"

At the shocked look on all three faces, the smile faded fast from his face. "Oh, apparently not," he muttered, looking chagrined.

Alec said softly, "The paradoxes…"

"Resolve themselves, by and large," the Doctor interrupted gaining back some of his enthusiasm and confidence. "That's why the psychic link was so powerful. Blood calling to blood, out of time." He started walking back to the Tardis, a happy little swagger in his step. "Not everything ends. Not love. Not always." His words were an echo of what Emma had told Clara.

Alec raced up to the Doctor before he could open the door. "Doctor, what about," he said and took a steadying breath. "What about us? Emma and me?"

The Doctor looked a tad bit confused at the question. "What about you?"

Alec pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Well, what's supposed to happen? What do we do now?"

Rose smiled fondly. He was taking relationship advice from the Doctor, of all people.

The Doctor smiled softly down at the other man. "Hold hands. That's what you're meant to do. Keep doing that and don't let go. That's the secret," he said.

Rose blinked in surprise. Was he referring to her? They had always held hands, wherever they went. She had just assumed that it was something he did, but now, now she was starting to realise that it meant more. It meant so much more to him. _Sometimes, all you need is a hand to hold._ His words echoed through her memory and tears came to her eyes. But she quickly shook her head. This him could be talking about anyone, any companion. But she hadn't seen him hold Clara's hand this whole time.

The Doctor turned to go back into the Tardis and then stopped. He suddenly smacked his forehead hard with the palm of his hand. "Oh, I'm so slow!" he shouted. "I'm notorious for it. That's always been my problem." He turned now grinning to face the others who were staring at him with puzzled expressions. "But I get there in the end. Oh, yes."

"Doctor?" Clara asked in concern, taking a few steps forward to him.

"How do sharks make babies?" he asked, his eyes twinkling and his grin huge.

Clara looked bemused. "Carefully?"

"No, no, no. Happily."

Clara scowled. "Sharks don't actually smile. They're just, well, they've got lots and lots of teeth. They're very eaty."

Rose snorted with laughter. This whole conversation was ridiculous, but the Doctor was leading up to something. Hopefully he was.

He snapped his fingers at her. "Exactly. But birds do it, bees do it," he said, now walking through the group, "even educated fleas do it. Every lonely monster needs a companion."

He weaved his way through the columns and looked up at the house. Clara and Rose followed and Rose could see a monster silhouetted against the window.

"There's two of them." Clara stated, coming to the same conclusion that Rose had.

The Doctor beamed and draped his arm over her shoulder, staring up at the window. "It's the oldest story in the universe, this one or any other. Boy and girl fall in love, get separated by events. War, politics, accidents in time. She's thrown out of the hex, or he's thrown into it. Since then, they've been yearning for each other, across time and space. Across dimensions." He swallowed hard and his smile fell a little.

Rose stared at him incredulously, her mouth gaping open. Then she shut it. Yes, he was definitely talking about her, this time. He still thought about her.

"This isn't a ghost story. It's a love story," he murmured, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he remembered.

He snapped out of his musings as he realised his arm was draped over Clara and hastily pulled his arm away. Clara gave him a knowing look.

"Sorry," he muttered. Then he took off again, running back to Emma.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt the rest of your lives," he stated and then turned his full attention to Emma. "So. Tiny favor to ask."

She gave him a guarded, weary look and he just smiled back and explained his plan. He, Clara and Rose ran back to the Tardis and materialised it inside the music room. Emma prepared to reopen the wormhole and the Doctor buckled himself up, preparing to jump back in to the other dimension.

Clara and Rose stayed in the Tardis and soon the old girl was piloting tumultuously through the wormhole. Rose and Clara clung on to whatever surface they could as the Tardis violently spun around and she heard the Doctor and the monster jump on to the Tardis and they flew back to the prime universe.

Rose righted herself and watched on the monitor as the Doctor called out to the other monster and watched in fascination as the two monsters tenderly caressed each other. Even the monsters could show love.

The Doctor took them to another part of the Tardis and then Hila came in. Emma called out to the Doctor and he went out to speak to her. She watched on the monitor as she said something to him and then handed the Doctor something, something small that she couldn't make out on the screen. She saw the Doctor stiffen and freeze. Then he composed himself and walked back into the Tardis.

He dropped Hila off, back in her own time, the paradoxes fixing themselves. Her disappearance was not a fixed point in time.

Next he took the monsters to another planet where they could live happily ever after. Or so Rose assumed.

Lastly, he took Clara home. She found it odd that she wasn't a companion that travelled permanently with the Doctor.

A few minutes later he entered the Tardis, closing the door firmly behind him and dematerialised her into the Vortex.

Rose leaned against the console, watching him as he leaned over, peering thoughtfully at the monitor. Then he slowly reached into his jacket pocket and took out a perfect white rose. Rose held her breath. This must be what Emma gave him. She had heard her after all. But what now?

He stared thoughtfully at the rose, and closed his eyes, almost as though he were in pain. He opened those green eyes again and placed the rose down on the console. He slowly reached in his jacket again, and then with lightning fast reflexes, he aimed the sonic right at her, the whirring noise becoming deafening.

Rose gasped as she was suddenly frozen in place, all the air being squeezed out of her lungs. She looked at him, his gaze narrowed and fierce in concentration. She felt like she was going to pass out soon and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

And then it was like the suction released and she stumbled forward, taking in a ragged breath, her vision blurry. She felt strong arms wrap around her, supporting her, but all she could concentrate on was getting air into her lungs.

She finally looked up into those mesmerising green eyes, eyes that were looking down at her with such softness and tenderness.

He smiled warmly at her and cupped her face with his hands. "Rose Tyler," he murmured.

She grinned back at him, her tongue peeking out through her teeth. "Hello, Doctor."

He grinned back, his whole face lighting up with happiness that she hadn't seen on his face since she had been here. He was genuinely pleased to see her. Relief flooded her at the thought.

Then he bought his face down slowly and closed his eyes, brushing his lips softly against hers. She froze in surprise. The Doctor was kissing her. Then instinct kicked in and she started responding to the kiss, feeling his arm wrap around her waist, drawing her closer, and his other hand snaking in her hair, deepening the kiss.

There was so much emotions wrapped up in that kiss. Love, longing and even regret. He kissed her slowly, savoring the taste of her. She felt his tongue dart out and she opened her lips, letting his in, tasting him as he tasted her. The kiss tapered off and she felt breathless. He was looking at her with such longing and love, that she had to wonder how long it had been since he had last seen her. She was very certain now that this was a future incarnation, and that she had jumped too far forward in the timeline.

He saw the look in her eyes and smiled sadly. "I've missed you," he said, caressing her cheek, those green eyes glimmering.

She reached up and gently brushed aside his floppy hair that had fallen down into his eyes. "I'm here now."

"You were with me the whole time. I could sense you," he murmured.

She nodded in affirmation and swallowed hard at the memories.

"What happened, Rose?" he asked softly.

She pulled back and lifted her arm to show him the wrist holster. "Something went wrong with the dimension cannon. We had just calibrated the Tardis key with the cannon, and something…happened. Found myself in here, but essentially I was a ghost. I tried everything to get your attention."

He nodded slowly as he peered at her wrist holster. He unbuckled it and flipped it over. He reached in his pocket for the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the device, the whirring noise so familiar and comforting. He flipped the screwdriver in the air and caught it expertly and pocketed it. He handed back her device.

"All fixed now. Shouldn't have any more problems."

She blinked and took it hesitantly from him. She looked down at it in her hands and then looked back up at him. "So, I guess I should be going, then."

Silence hung in the air.

"Or you could stay for a bit," he offered.

She looked up in his eyes and saw hope. Hope that she would say yes.

She smiled back at him softly. "I would like that," she replied just as softly and placed the hopper onto the console.

Then she looked back at him, her face suddenly serious. "How long has it been for you?"

His eyes saddened and he glanced away. "Too long."

She swallowed hard and then closed the distance between them. She brushed her lips against his and he didn't hesitate to respond, wrapping his arms around her and deepening the kiss. He backed her up until her back hit the console and he swiftly lifted her up so that she was now sitting on the console, never breaking from the kiss. She grinned against his lips and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him flush against her. They both moaned at the friction and she ran her fingers through his hair, scraping her nails against his scalp.

He pulled back and she expected him to make some excuse and run off. But he looked at her with a smoldering intensity. He was not going to back down. And neither was she. She had been separated from him for far too long. She wanted this. With him. And the look in his eyes told her that he wanted this too.

"Bedroom?" he growled.

She nodded, words unnecessary in that moment. His eyes grew darker and he grabbed her under her thighs and she wrapped her arms and legs around him as he carried her to his bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

He kicked the door open to his bedroom, but she was too focused on kissing him to notice her surroundings.

He gently placed her down and immediately resumed kissing her, as though the thought of any distance between them was unbearable. She pulled away and unzipped her purple jacket with shaky fingers and shrugged it off, letting it drop to the floor. The Doctor smirked and shrugged off his own jacket and stepped forward, placing his hands on her waist. She could feel his thumbs stroking her waist through the thin material of her pink shirt and she shivered in anticipation.

She started unbuttoning his vest and cursed his love for layers when she saw she still had his white shirt and cuffs to unbutton.

His hands left her waist and she yearned for the contact again. He shrugged off his vest and undid the buttons on his shirt, his eyes never leaving her. She licked her lips nervously. They were going to do this. They were really going to do this. She had always fantasised about it, but now that it was becoming a reality, she found her nerves were getting the better of her.

She watched as he undid his bow tie and let it flutter to the floor. She raised an eyebrow. "Bow ties?"

The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement. "Bow ties are cool, Rose Tyler."

She chuckled and closed the distance between them. He still had his shirt on, though the buttons were now undone, revealing his chest. She ran her fingertips over the expanse of his chest, marvelling at the smoothness and tautness. He certainly wasn't very hairy in this regeneration. She looked up at him and grinned.

"I like the bow tie on you," she murmured and then pushed his shirt off.

He smiled down softly at her. "I always knew you would."

He placed his hands back on her waist and tugged her shirt up. She lifted her arms up so that he could pull the shirt over her head. She stood before him wearing only her black bra and black pants and sneakers. She kicked off her shoes and stripped off her pants and socks. When she looked back up at him, those green eyes were swirling with dark intentions.

"You're absolutely beautiful," he breathed. He closed the distance and she shivered as his cool hands glided over her spine and down to her waist. Then his one hand cupped her bum, pulling her flush against him. She could feel the hardness of his erection pressing against her belly. He leaned down and kissed her again, more urgently this time. His hands roamed up her back and deftly undid her bra.

He smirked against her mouth and stepped back to pull her bra off and flinging it over his shoulder. He closed the distance again and kissed her fiercely, walking her back until her knees hit the edge of the bed. He gently lowered her down into a lying position and he straightened up, drinking in the sight of her.

She truly was beautiful. His memories of her did no justice to the real, living, breathing, naked Rose Tyler on his bed. She was breathtaking, all flushed and breathing heavily. He slowly pulled down her panties over her hips and then her legs and she squirmed, eager for more.

He knelt in front of her and breathed in the scent that was distinctly her. He ran his hands up her legs and towards her thighs, gently parting them, revealing her to him. He gently hooked her knees over his shoulder and looked up at her. She was leaning back on her elbows and watching him, her eyes betraying her nervousness. He lowered his mouth to her and gave her a slow, deliberate lick and watched as she threw her head back, revelling in pleasure.

He took his time, licking and sucking and then he inserted a finger as he flicked his tongue against her clit. She cried out, her hips bucking and he firmly held her hips down with his arm as he inserted another finger. He thrust and licked, her pants and moans echoing in the room, her hand fisting in his hair. As he thrust his fingers in her, his thumb grazed over her sensitised clit and she came hard.

He stood and unbuckled his belt, and stepped out of his pants, boxers and boots. He stood naked before and she sat up to marvel at his body. He advanced towards her and she shifted back to make room. He was instantly on her, pinning her down, kissing her fiercely. She could taste herself on his lips and she moaned. She wanted more.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust her hips up, urging him for more. She could feel him pressed against her entrance and all she could think about was completion.

"Please, Doctor," she moaned in his ear as he kissed her neck. He paused and then bit down on the tender flesh of her neck and thrust into her at the same time, making her cry out. He paused letting her adjust and then he set a slow, languid pace, kissing her as he slowly thrust into her. She raised her hips to meet each of his thrusts, and soon urgency took over. His thrusts became harder and quicker and soon she was crying out his name as her orgasm exploded within her. He thrust a few more times and shuddered as his own orgasm came, her name whispered on his lips.

They clung to each other, each breathing hard. He lifted his head and looked down at her with such wonderment and tenderness. He kissed her slowly and tenderly and then rolled off, pulling her into his arms. They lay there, enjoying the feel of each other.

She looked up and saw his eyes shimmering with tears.

'What's wrong, Doctor?" she asked softly.

"I'm soon going to have to let you go."

She bit her lower lip. She knew he was right. She was too far ahead in his timeline and she had to get back to her current Doctor. She had to warn him about the stars. And this him would not tell her how it was going to end, paradoxes and all.

"But not now," she replied.

He turned his head to look at her, and she saw it. She saw the pain he still suffered from losing her. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek and he leaned into the touch, as though he had been starved of it for so long. And maybe he had been.

They made love throughout the night, as though he were trying to memorise every inch of her, to savor each kiss and caress and touch. She finally fell asleep, exhausted, in his arms and he held her tightly to him, feeling her soft breaths against his chest as she slept. Soon he would have to let her go. But not now.

After a while he extracted himself from her and retrieved a camera he had hidden deep inside his bedside drawer. He stood there, watching her sleep and he thought that she was indeed the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His hearts constricted that he would have to give her up and let her go. He took a picture and smiled fondly as the image came up on the camera. He retrieved his sonic from his jacket pocket and aimed it at the image. Next he found a pocket watch and transferred the image to the inside of the pocket watch. This would be his memory of his time with her in this moment. A moment he would always cherish.

This incarnation was the one who chose to move on and forget. Holding on to the past and the memories was too painful, and moving on and forgetting had been the only way to survive all his losses. But now, looking at his sleeping Rose, he realised that sometimes, remembering someone who was forever lost, was not always a bad thing. Maybe it was okay to remember the good times.

He looked down at the image in his pocket watch and smiled softly. Yes, he would always remember her. His precious Rose. Maybe he would start wearing the pocket watch. It would be a nifty accessory to his outfit. And it would also keep her memory close.

He closed the pocket watch and frowned slightly at the plain brass outer shell. He should put a white rose on it. Yes, a white rose engraved on the outer shell would be perfect. He attached the pocket watch to his vest on a small chain and smiled. It looked perfect.

He heard her stir and crawled back into bed with her, wrapping his arms around her warm body. And for the first time, in a very long time, he slept peacefully.


	10. Chapter 10

They were standing in the console room, Rose freshly showered and dressed and the Doctor dressed in his usual attire, the new pocket watch dangling proudly from his vest.

He picked up the hopper and aimed his sonic at it, setting it for its new destination. He looked up at Rose, who was biting her bottom lip nervously. He could sympathise with her. He didn't want her to leave. But he knew that she had to. She had to leave soon or else he would never let her go.

"Rose, I've set new co-ordinates for you. I need you to listen carefully."

She nodded, noting the seriousness in his tone.

"You're going to find yourself in an alternate world, one that belongs to Donna Noble, a very beloved companion. This timeline is a paradox of sorts and it's imperative that you make her turn left."

Rose frowned, but knew that this was important.

He pinched his eyes and took a deep breath and continued. "You have to make her turn left and she has to die."

Her eyes widened in horror. "What?" she asked in a low, disbelievving voice.

He opened his eyes and looked at her with such intensity. "She has to die in the alternate world in order for her get back to her normal timeline. Don't worry, she'll barely remember it."

"But I will. I'll remember having to make her die," she replied softly.

"Believe me, Rose, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary. You are the one who fixes this problem caused by that Time Beetle." He came up to her and clasped her on the shoulders, willing her to see the seriousness of the situation.

"Time Beetle?"

"Exactly how it sounds. It creates an alternate world, changing something small that can have detrimental effects."

"And that's what happened to Donna?"

He nodded. Then he took it deep breath. "It won't be easy, Rose. But this is what has to be done. And I know that you can do it."

"And you can't tell me anything more?"

He shook his head sadly. "No, but I will tell you this. After you have fixed the problem with Donna, make sure you bring your big gun. You're going to need it after that. I've programmed your hopper to take you to where you need to go after Donna."

She looked at him, those hazel eyes of hers so trusting and he felt his hearts constrict at what she was going to have to face. Even now, he could still see her on that beach, silently imploring him with tearful eyes to utter those words. And he could not say them. He could not say them because he knew she was better off with the Metacrisis. A man who could freely love her and grow old with her and give her everything he could not. Even now, that memory left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had given up his own happiness to ensure that she would be happy. He prayed fervently that she would be happy.

She searched his face and nodded. "Okay," she replied. She trusted him and she trusted that this had to be done.

He cupped her face and kissed her fiercely and she kissed him back just as fiercely. Both knew that this was goodbye. Their final farewell. He rested his forehead against her own and closed his eyes tightly as he crushed her against him. He did not want to let her go.

He pulled back and handed her the hopper before he lost his nerve. She silently took it and attached it to her wrist. She looked up at him and then gave him a bright grin.

"I'll see you soon, Doctor."

He smiled back sadly at her. She would see him again soon, but he would never lay eyes on her again. But he replied, "You bet."

He crossed his arms over his chest, mainly to stop fidgeting or reaching out for her. She looked at him and seemed to realise that this would be the last time she would see him, this him. Though she didn't know the circumstances.

"Goodbye, Doctor," she whispered and came up to him, placing a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. She pulled away and stepped back. And then she hit the button, disappearing as his words echoed around the room – 'Stay'.

He hung his head and took a shuddering breath, his eyes pinched closed. Then he straightened up and adjusted his jacket. He turned to the console and saw the white rose laying there. He gently picked it up and music started playing in the Tardis. Ghost of a Rose by Blackmore's Night. He chuckled. Yes, she had been his ghost of a Rose.

Clara had been right, though. They all were ghosts to him. But some, some were more than that. Some left imprints in his hearts, forever engrained in his memory. And some things were worth remembering. Like her. His Ghost of a Rose.


End file.
